Asia ODI Series 2023

Match 3- PAK vs IND

Preview

The Hosts PAK has commenced their Asia ODI series 2023 journey with a thrashing win against Nepal in Multan in the opening fixture. It is their next match, however, that is the talk of the town. It will be PAK versus IND once again as the arch-rivals meet this Saturday in the high-octane Group A clash at Pallekele. Babar Azam-led Men in Green recently beaten Afghanistan 3-0, and the victory in their first Asia ODI series game would have given them a lot of confidence. Rohit Sharma-led IND, meanwhile, will be looking to start the tournament on the right note against PAK. This epic match from Group A of the Asia ODI series between PAK and IND is scheduled to take place at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele on 02nd Sep.

PAK couldn’t have asked for a better start to their Asia ODI series campaign. After electing to bat first against Nepal in Multan, they posted a mammoth 342-6 on the board courtesy of spectacular hundreds from skipper Babar Azam (151 off 131 balls) and Iftikhar Ahmed (109* off 71 balls). Their bowlers then produced another brilliant display to bowl Nepal out for just 104 to register a thumping 238-run win.

To say that Babar Azam is in form would be an understatement. He has been the most consistent batter across formats for a while now and has started the Asia Cup with a bang. This year, Babar has played 12 ODIs and amassed 689 runs in them at an average of 57.41 and a strike rate of 87.10, with two hundred and six fifties.

Opener Fakhar Zaman is also someone who can change the game if he gets going. Zaman has a good record against India and has been in fine touch, scoring 523 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 58.11 and a strike rate of 92.56.

India has a lot to prove as they begin their road to the ODI World Cup 2023 at home. The Asia ODI series will give the team a chance to settle into a groove and build some momentum. India hasn’t had the luxury of playing their full-strength squad over the last few seasons as many of their key players have been frequently injured or rested. This time, they boast a strong squad that checks most of the boxes. Unfortunately, KL Rahul is still recovering from a niggle and will miss the team’s first two matches. Ishan Kishan is likely to take his place among the eleven. 

Rohit Sharam-led IND has a strong batting unit, like always. Virat Kohli will once again be their main batter to watch out for. He has been in excellent form this year and has scored 427 runs in 10 ODIs at an average of 53.37, with two hundred and one fifty. Kohli averages 48.72 against Pakistan, and another memorable performance from the batting great won’t be surprising.

Another batter who can make a difference in this game is Rohit Sharma. The Indian skipper averages 51.42 against Pakistan from 16 ODIs, with two hundred and six fifties. Although he hasn’t been in the best of form in ODIs of late, we are expecting Rohit to play an important knock in this big clash. 

Match Details

Match: PAK vs IND, 3rd Match, Group A, Asia ODI Series 2023

Date: Saturday, September 02, 2023

Time: 3:00 PM

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

Pitch and Weather Conditions

The average score batting first at Pallekele is 248. The highest total posted here is 363/7 by South Africa against Sri Lanka in 2018. The highest run chase achieved at this venue is Sri Lanka’s 314-6 versus Afghanistan in 2022. The team batting first should look to set a target of around 280–290 runs.

Rain is expected in Pallekele on Saturday between PAK vs IND. The team winning the toss is likely to bat second because if the match is shortened due to rain, the chasing side will have a better shot at the DLS target.

PAK vs. IND Squads

PAK: Babar Azam (c), Muhammad Tayyab Tahir, Abdullah Shafique, Imam Ul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf

IND: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, K L Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah

PAK vs. IND Probable Playing XIs

PAK: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

IND: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

Match Prediction

Rohit Shrama-led IND has had a good record against PAK in ODIs in recent years. IND has beaten them in four of their last five ODIs against them. However, Pakistan is a much-improved side now and won’t be easy to beat. With skipper Babar Azam in the form of his life and a menacing bowling attack, they will pose a serious challenge to India. The Men in Blue has a strong side on paper. However, IND's problem is that the squad isn’t settled.

Many of their players are returning from injuries and haven’t played the format in a long time. There is likely to be some rustiness in the team, and they might struggle against this fiery pace attack. PAK, on the other hand, has been in Sri Lanka for the last couple of weeks and has built great winning momentum. Unless Rohit or Kohli fire for India, they might struggle to get past the No. 1 ODI side. We say IND to beat PAK in this colossal battle.

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